The present invention relates to a method for applying an image to a receptor element using two heating steps.
The major user of color copiers to create personalized transfers are copy shops (e.g. Kinko""s) which use commercial laser color copiers, such as the Canon #500/700/800 or the Xerox Spectrum. The machines cost $30,000 and more. A commercial heat press is required to effect transfer.
Because a commercial press is necessary, the stores must also carry an inventory of apparel since the consumer can not shop elsewhere and apply a transfer at home. Presently, transferring images to receptor elements require costly machines, combined with the requirement for an inventory of apparel, a commercial and costly heat press (e.g. $4,000+). These demands prevent consumers from having easy access within the course of one""s everyday living experience.
For the past 20 years, transfers could only be printed at copy stores, plus a few high traffic specialty locations, such as amusement parks, tourist centers, etc. Access to these machines was limited. First, not many of the copy shops would spend the $30,000-50,000 per machine. Certainly not the smaller shops in more remote areas. Second, most frequently, T-shirt personalization is an impulse and very few people have occasion to visit copy centers frequently, or on a somewhat regular basis. Third, the copy centers would be required to have at least one commercial heat press (as hand ironing was impossible), plus a variety of T-shirts in different sizes. This in-store inventory of shirts was necessary, because the imaged transfer had to be pressed into the garment at the store. Fourth, copy centers have no desire to carry an assortment of apparel in differing designs and sizes.
Traditionally, copy centers in the imaging transfer business do not inventory anything other than T-shirts and, on occasion, a baseball jersey and cap. The consumer had no range of choices with regard to gift items, such as pillowcases, barbecue aprons, tote bags, windbreakers, sweatshirts, etc. And certainly no range of colors.
Supermarkets, Drugstores, etc., find it is not cost effective to devote so many resources (i.e. costly copier, commercial press, and wide range of apparel in inventory) for the return on investment. Consequently, consumers lose because they do not have routine access to obtain personally imaged apparel.
No supermarket or mass merchandiser (eg. K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc.) has the personnel, the time, or the space to have the copier, along with compulsory commercial heat press, plus a wide range of garments. However, offering the many store visitors, in high traffic locations cited above, the capability to copy a photo just being received in the store after development of film, or a wallet photo, a prom picture, graduation picture, or simple xe2x80x9crefrigerator artxe2x80x9d provides a significantly better opportunity to both the consumer and the store management.
One problem in the art is that the internal heat of toner laser imaging devices exceeds the melt point of any xe2x80x9chand ironablexe2x80x9d transfer. The problem has been apparent for 20 years when Xerox introduced its first commercial toner color copier. In 20 years, no one has found a successful method to achieve hand ironing of toner laser transfers.
The modifications will follow description of the fundamental 20 years inability to hand iron laser toner transfers. All transfers must have a meltpoint higher than the fuser rollers within toner copiers. This meltpoint is a combination of temperature, the amount of time that the transfer is in contact with fuser roller, and pressure applied to transfer as it passes over the roller.
Papers are available but each can only pass through the copier with an imprinted image, and not melt when undergoing the printing procedure. However, because the meltpoint must be so high (350-400xc2x0 F. for 20 seconds) the transfer must be heat pressed. Should one try to hand iron, the iron would have to be, at its highest temperature, over each area, one at a time and for 20 a seconds, until the 8.5xe2x80x3xc3x9711xe2x80x3 or 11xe2x80x3xc3x9717xe2x80x3 transfer had been completely covered with the iron for 20 seconds. On the 8.5xe2x80x3xc3x9711xe2x80x3 size, it would require about eight (8) changings of the location of the iron to press the entire surface. It is inevitable that when the last position of the iron had been completed, the iron placed upon the table, and peel of transfer begun, you will often find that the first sections of those transfers which had been pressed had since cooled and the transfer must, inevitably with many current xe2x80x9chot peel,xe2x80x9d stick to the fabric. The consumer could never peel the transfer from the fabric without a great deal of drag (i.e., resistance to peel). This drag would lift the piles of the fabric upward thus leaving the color unprotected at the extreme tips of the fibers. The present inventor found that if the colored coating is not compressed into the fabric, color will be significantly lost in laundering, coatings will develop cracks, feel will be rough, and colors are less vibrant.
This inability to hand iron is a universal problem today, with exceptions only in degree. Some coatings are marginally acceptable, others are not. Therefore, the restrictions for both consumer and the stores remain intact, as they have for 20 years.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the problems identified above.
The present invention improves adhesion and image quality of an image that has been transferred (e.g. imaged transfer) after it has been applied to a receptor element such as a fabric. This is achieved by re-ironing the already transferred image utilizing a material resistant to sticking (i.e. a tack resistant material such as silicone paper) between the hand-held iron and the transferred image on the receptor element. This is necessary in many, but not all, instances so as to drive the coatings which have been transferred from the support sheet of the transfer material to the receptor element (i.e. fabric) deep into the gaps and valleys of the receptor element. The repress method of the invention also compresses any loose fabric thereby making the colors more vibrant.
There are two reasons why some coatings are more significantly improved than others with a second press (re-iron):
1. The support sheet of some transfers are so rigid and thick as to prevent hand pressure from the iron to drive the coatings into the gaps. If the paper is too thick or rigid, it spans the tiny gaps in the fabric and simply prevents an iron, with the energy of one""s hand, to drive the coatings sufficiently into the fabric.
2. Some coatings do not melt as readily (e.g. liquify) as others when exposed to heat (and pressure). Therefore, the iron must remain at a given location for a longer period of time. As a result, the initial starting location of the iron will have cooled so as to create greater drag or resistance of peel.
In the instance of printing/copier devices which require a high degree of internal heat, coatings must have a melt point so high as to exceed that of the printer. The higher the melt point the higher the temperature that is required for release. The higher the temperature, the greater the drag because the initial positions have cooled to varying degrees. As a result, the coatings will simply rest atop the fabric and span crevices rather than follow the texture and fill the gaps.
Reasons for the necessity of either a rigid support or higher melt point coatings are:
1. Many cassette feeders require a stiffer paper to avoid jamming.
2. Some copiers/printers require stiffer paper to avoid jamming as the paper passes through the various internal processes. In those instances, a more pliable support sheet will get xe2x80x9chung upxe2x80x9d at certain junctions and create an unacceptable incidence of jamming.
3. As previously mentioned, some coatings require a formula which results in a higher melt point to avoid activating and wreaking havoc with the interior of the device.
Those coatings with higher melt points will not flow into the valleys of the fabric with the pressure of only a hand iron. Presently, the only method in the art to achieve adequate transfer from support sheet to fabric of the imaged coatings is with the use of a commercial heat press. The repress method of the present invention overcomes the problem in the art.
A hand-ironable transfer would enable many locations, which currently do not offer Personalized Apparel services because of the many restrictions, to provide this service and enjoy a profit.
Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, the consumer would simply have a copy (i.e. color) made of a photo or artwork (e.g. greeting cards) onto a hand ironable transfer material. Then he/she could shop for the specific receptor element of preference, varying from pillowcases, aprons, nite/beach/baseball jerseys, t-shirts, etc. upon which to transfer the image (i.e. an imaged transfer) in accordance with the process of the present invention.